Charleston Southern vs Elon University

Charleston Southern University and Elon University, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Charleston Southern, a private Christian university in Charleston, South Carolina, boasts a tight-knit community and a strong emphasis on faith-based education. Elon, a private nonsectarian university in Elon, North Carolina, is known for its innovative curriculum, experiential learning opportunities, and vibrant campus life. While both universities share a commitment to academic excellence, they differ in acceptance rates, popular majors, student body demographics, and graduation rates. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Charleston Southern University	Elon University
Overview
Location	Charleston, South Carolina	Elon, North Carolina
Campus setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	4-1-4	4-1-4
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	68.0%	88.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Baptist

Admission
Acceptance rate	57.2%	77.7%
Application fees		Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $60
SAT range	990 - 1200	N/A
ACT range	18 - 23	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	50.0%
Students submitting ACT score	39.0%
Total number of applicants	3,940	17,834
Total number of admissions given out	2,254	13,859
Admitted students who chose to enroll	690	1,591
Yield rate	30.6%	11.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$42,500	$55,647
Average net price	$18,182	$40,366
Tuition	$28,630	$38,218
Room & board	$11,032	Room/dormitory: $6,593 Meal plan: $6,829
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	99.0% Average amount $22,425	67.0% Average amount $13,677
Students receiving federal student loan	56.0% Average amount $5,238	30.0% Average amount $5,259
Students taking out private loans	12.0% Average amount $10,921	7.0% Average amount $25,192

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,725 Men 35.6% Women 64.4%	6,302 Men 40.2% Women 59.8%
Graduate students	616 Men 36.7% Women 63.3%	825 Men 36.5% Women 63.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	23.5%	80.6%
International students	2.3%	2.0%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	Suburb: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,424	4,192
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	South Carolina North Carolina Georgia Florida Pennsylvania	North Carolina New Jersey New York Pennsylvania Virginia

Academics
Popular study areas	Business Health Professions Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Business Legal Profession Health Professions Communication and Journalism Education
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	12:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges

Outcome
Graduation rate	49.3%	83.3%
Dropout rate	49.7%	16.7%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $74,078 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $80,916 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $61,709 Year 2: $59,425 Year 3: $64,433 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,982 Year 2: $56,867 Year 3: $57,626 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,309 Year 2: $46,589 Year 3: $54,442 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,112 Year 2: $48,198 Year 3: $53,093 Human Resources Management and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $38,775 Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $48,261 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $45,715 Year 3: $47,106 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $35,190 Year 2: $37,568 Year 3: $38,459 Design and Applied Arts (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,781 Year 2: $32,284 Year 3: $34,518 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,345 Year 2: $32,391 Year 3: $31,620	Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $101,556 Year 2: $104,061 Year 3: $105,320 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $64,803 Year 2: $71,854 Year 3: $78,720 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,320 Year 2: $60,016 Year 3: $77,567 Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,276 Year 2: $54,192 Year 3: $77,220 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,564 Year 2: $62,154 Year 3: $76,604 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $68,888 Year 2: $69,629 Year 3: $70,208 Marketing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $50,091 Year 2: $50,022 Year 3: $64,255 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,189 Year 3: $59,817 Political Science and Government (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,293 Year 2: $36,674 Year 3: $58,053 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $44,055 Year 3: $55,617

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